2024/25 Chapter Winner
Category: for an Existing Institutional Facility.
Submitted by, Angie Boileau, Senior Energy Analyst Focal Engineering, P.Eng. (She/her)
Focal Engineering Inc.
Team:
OWNER: Comox Valley Regional District
CVRD Decarbonization Strategy & Energy Plan – ASHRAE Awards Narrative
The Comox Valley Sports Centre and Aquatic Centre host a variety of recreational amenities including two ice surfaces, a fitness centre, two 25m lap pools, a leisure pool and two whirlpools. Recreation centres provide important gathering and fitness functions to a community but often have high energy loads and emissions due to their large volumes and functional requirements. In 2023, Focal Engineering was engaged to provide a pathway for these facilities to achieve their goal of 50% emissions reductions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Mechanical, envelope, and lighting systems were studied for energy and emissions conservation measures, with measures including: heat recovery, energy efficiency, onsite energy generation, district energy and electrification. Each site was analyzed with whole-building energy models to evaluate savings opportunities. This plan is intended to align long-term climate goals with both operations and capital planning.
After a thorough site investigation, using some of the procedures found in ASHRAE 211-2011 for a level 2 to level 3 audit, operator interviews were conducted, utility data was analyzed, and inputs were determined. Project inputs relied on a variety of sources including, O&M Manuals, equipment nameplates, DDC setpoints, industry guidelines and standards such as ASHRAE 90.1 (2011 version used as the most applicable for time period of envelope systems), ASHRAE 62.1-2001 where ventilation rates unknown and NECB 2020 among others. Resources such as ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook 2021 and ASHRAE Refrigeration Handbook were referenced throughout the study.
An energy model was built using ASHRAE 140 compliant software, IES VE 2023 and calibrated to utility data. These results were compared to benchmark values from the 2019 PUMA Benchmarking Report for Municipalities in BC, using EUI as a key indicator. The energy model was used to estimate each facility’s energy use breakdown.
Upgrade measures were studied with a focus on energy efficiency, carbon emissions reductions, maintenance and operations impacts, and cost effectiveness. Additional measures were considered but for a variety of reasons, such as maintenance and operations concerns and limited technology available, were not pursued. For example, while pool covers can save energy, there is limited documentation on automated, irregular shaped options. District energy was also explored at both facilities and should be explored further as an innovative solution at the Sports Centre, when heat reclaim systems from ice plant heat rejection are expanded. Where AHU replacements are recommended, IAQ improvements for filtration, controls and energy sub-metering were also considered, such as demand controlled ventilation.
The energy models were used to assess the impact of each measure in isolation, along with several bundles of measures. It is important to note that the impact of bundles is often less than the sum of individual improvements, due to interactions between systems within the energy model. Based on the energy modelling analysis, costs, utility savings and other considerations, nine measures were recommended at the Aquatic Centre and ten at the Sports Centre. These measures and their resulting impact are summarized. Implementation was determined to occur in 4 phases.
Together with continuous optimization (phase 4), the proposed 19 measures are estimated to reduce emissions by 920 tonnes of CO2e per year across the two facilities, a 95% reduction over 2019 emissions levels. The proposed plan achieves total utility and internal carbon cost savings of $9,036,298 by 2050, including the CVRD internal cost of carbon and a 6% annual carbon cost escalation. Using escalated capital cost projections, the like-for-like replacement cost is $8,744,307 for all measures. The decarbonization pathway measures result in an incremental cost of $10,257,303, for a total capital cost of $19,001,610. During the 27-year period (2024 to 2050) the facilities are expected to save 20,506 tonnes of CO2e emissions (roughly 80%), compared to a business-as-usual case.
